The Terminate the Rate campaign being promoted by 3 UK, a loss making mobile operator, is appealing to budget challenged consumers with claims that charges made every time a call from a landline is connected to a mobile are “one of Britain’s biggest secret taxes” and need to be brought “down to a level that’s fair for all phone users”.
Incredibly at a time when public services are being cut this campaign has managed to get over 150 MPs out in support. Truly amazed I checked out the campaign website and it dawned on me that this is a campaign driven by some very misguided people. In the campaign supporters page we have some ridiculously unconsidered/misinformed opinions…
“it will cost less for families of students, who might only have fixed lines, to keep in touch with their loved ones while they are away at college!” Wes Streeting, President, NUS
Maybe Wes needs to appreciate the benefits of MTRs for students which include the fact that they get their phones subsidised as a result of the revenues generated by MTR’s. A good example of this might be when a mobile marketing company rings them up to tell them about their latest offers eg. a bank selling student financial products who pay MTR’s in order to call potential customers… in fact there is even a MVNO called Blyk that uses the desire of business to engage with students in order to provide a completely free mobile service to students (this business also benefits from MTRs). It’s also worth pointing out that calling a landline from a mobile (ie. when the student calls home) doesn’t involve any MTR’s and the fact that with Mobile Penetration levels reaching 105% back in 2005 there are very few families that have no mobile (particularly amongst those who can afford to send their child to college).
“with MTRs accounting for up to 80% of the price per minute of a call from a home phone line to a mobile, the only way to get better prices is to Terminate the unfair Rate.” John Petter, MD, Consumer, BT Retail
Wrong there John…. there is another very accessible and easy to use way… it involves a mobile to mobile call on the same network – check out the Family Plans being offered by the likes of Vodafone and O2! BT joining 3 UK in this campaign for the economically challenged consumer just adds to the ridiculousness of the whole thing… unlike UK mobile operators BT charge customers for connection fees, line rental fees and disconnection fees! MTR’s help operators subsidise these costs so for example you can actually get a FREE pay as you go SIM card from most UK mobile networks.
“A cut in the cost of calling mobile telephones from landlines will help older people maintain contact with friends and family, and help prevent social isolation.” Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director, Age Concern and Help the Aged
Incredible that the Charity Director for this important charity is completely unaware of the fact that subsidisation from MTR’s contributes to the fact that it is cheaper for a UK senior to use and maintain a mobile than a landline phone and connection.
It’s also really surprising that Marie Clair the PR Officer of the Plain English Campaign has come forward in support of a campaign being organised by one of the UK’s worst offenders through their routine use of explaining contractual terms within small print.
“We’re up there with issues such as child poverty, the Gurkhas and epilepsy in terms of Parliamentary support, which is great” Julie Minns, Head of Regulatory and Public Policy for 3.
Mentioning MTRs in the same breath as such serious issues as Child Poverty, War Veteran Rights and the Disabled shows the PR Spin involved in this campaign has no limits…
I really hope this campaign gets nowhere… and if you provide me with your name/email/postcode in the comments I’ll write to your MP on your behalf stating that you think MTRs are a reasonable way to generate taxes and that you are happy with the way mobile operators are subsidising life time ownership costs for customers.
